Strangers on a Train
by Beth - Geek Chick
Summary: aka Cross Country 2.0 - Annie and Auggie meet on a train ride to California. Alternate Universe, but canon-based.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N Kinda weird, what's going on here. First time I ever "did over" a story. But so many of you begged not to delete Cross Country, while rewriting it as a more substantial, longer story. That's doable. Heck, I've seen it on this site more than once.**

**What follows is 1st two chaps of CC, edited and made more substantial with exposition, both POVs, and thought processes. In other words, a better story. I've also figured out that my normal way of writing is going to have to change along with my new work/home life. Don't want this story to slide down the tubes like CC did, so I may just hold off on editing/publishing for the weekends.**

* * *

Annie Walker never really liked trains. Nothing personal, really. She just preferred airplanes, which were faster and didn't run the risk of derailing at inopportune times. No matter what she read about safety ratings, she still wished she were in a plane right now, speeding across the country instead of rambling along the ground on a crosscountry Amtrak. Driving would be even slower, but she could stop when she wanted to, go sightseeing, see the country.

But no, her parents wanted her to experience life and see the country before she ingrained herself into college. So instead of springing for airline tickets from New York City to Stanford, they bought her a train ticket. And that's where she was now, waiting for the second of her three-leg trip to begin. Exhaustion creeped up on her, and she hoped she'd sleep better tonight than she did on the trip from New York to here, Chicago. The "bunk" felt more like a floor covered in scratchy blanket. This train seemed more high end, including, thank heavens, wifi access.

The anxiety and nerves from waiting was starting to get to her, so she decided to walk the corridor until the train started and get the layout of the place. She made it a few steps down the hallway when the door to the adjoining compartment opened, and someone stepped out.

A guy appeared in front of her. He stood a head taller and wore jeans and a t-shirt. That's about the only details she got before he turned suddenly, and though she tried to duck, her face collided into his shoulder.

"Ow!" Annie yelled as her cheek made contact. The sudden sting of pain made her close her eyes, and her hand flew up to the side of her face.

"Oh, crap, I'm sorry, sorry, sorry," the guy shouted, his arms reaching out to catch her from falling and to steady himself.

When Annie opened her eyes from the impact, her vision was full of white cotton stretched across a muscular chest. She'd step back out of his space, but his grip on her shoulders held her close. Her mouth opened to tell him off, but a split second before, she saw his face.

Beyond the cuteness of his face, his eyes grabbed her attention. They darted around frantically, never lighting anywhere near her own eyes. A clatter to her left sounded, and she saw a white stick fall to the floor. Holy moly, Annie thought. Halfway across the country, and she almost mowed down a blind guy.

"Don't apologize," Annie said, holding her hand up to her cheek, wondering if she'd bruise or just swell up a bit. "I should have been watching where I was going, if anything. You're not hurt, are you?"

The adrenaline and fear coursing through Auggie eased at her words, and he relaxed, focusing in on her voice. Girl, he surmised, about a foot shorter than he, and given the slightness of her shoulders and upper arms as he steadied them both, in great shape. He should have let her go by now, really. A couple more apologies and are you okays. But he didn't.

Annie stood there, mindlessly rubbing the side of her face looking up at her accidental attacker. As she spoke, his darting eyes settled down towards her face. Useless as they may be, Annie found herself getting lost in their deep chocolate brown. The rest of his face wasn't bad, either. His jawbone and cheekbones etched out his tanned skin, and a mop of curly brown locks draped across his forehead and along the back of his neck.

"Are you sure I didn't hurt you?" he asked while his thumbs ran over her collarbone.

Annie shook her head, momentarily lost in their closeness and the soothing feel of his hands.

"Are you nodding, or did my shoulder take out your vocal cords?"

"No, no," Annie squeaked out, then with a clearing of her voice, she said, "Just hit my cheek on your shoulder. I'll be fine."

Not that he didn't believe her, but Auggie couldn't very well see for himself. From the stinging spot on his shoulder, he knew they collided pretty hard. He dropped his hands from her shoulders and lifted them to cup her cheeks. Well, one hand cupped her cheek. The other covered her hand which lay against the impact-warmed skin.

If Annie had thought his touch on her shoulders was strong and pulse inducing, it was nothing compared to the feel of his hands against her bare skin.

Geez, she thought to herself, get a grip. It's not like you've never been touched by a guy. In fact, the past six months of her life had been spent in a hot and heavy relationship. She'd lost her virginity to Ben Mercer and experienced every first a girl could had in that short span. Including getting her heart broken the day after graduation when he left.

But this? This guy had only been touching her for 30 seconds, but it'd obliterated every memory she had of Ben's hands on her. And she didn't even know his name.

She took a half a step back, which pulled his hands off of her cheeks, but she turned the one he had his hand on into a haphazard handshake. "I'm Annie."

The break of the little bubble they were in pulled Auggie out of his reverie, and he blinked as his hands hit empty air. Then her fingers held his, and his ears picked up that she was introducing herself. He smiled and replied, "August."

"Really? Your name's August? That's cool."

"I guess," he said with a shrug. "Only new teachers and my mom when she's mad call me that, though. My friends call my Auggie."

Even with the extra space between them, the air felt heavy and full of tension. Annie decided to break it herself before she started babbling. "Nice to meet you, Auggie," she said, dropping his hand.

The train lurched a little as it started to leave the station. "Guess we should be getting back to our rooms, now that we're under way."

"Right, right. I'm staying here," Auggie said, pointing his thumb over his shoulder. No way was he letting this be a "hi and bye" moment.

"I know," Annie said with a laugh. "I saw you come out of it right before you walked into me. I'm – umm, I'm just next door."

"Really?"

That word was accompanied by a wide, happy smile, making Annie rethink her negative stance on train travel. Maybe the next two days wouldn't be so bad, after all. "Yeah. Wait, let me get you your stick," she said, bending down to pick up the yard-length item.

"Cane," he corrected, grabbing hold of it as she pressed it into his hand.

"Huh?"

"It's called a cane," he said, "I use it to watch where I'm going."

"Fat lot of good it did a few minutes ago," Annie chuckled, then immediately clapped her mouth shut. "God, I'm sorry, that was rude and over the line."

Auggie didn't think so, and his laughed out loud. "Don't apologize, please. Way too many do, and it cuts down on meaningful conversation."

Annie's eyebrows nearly hit her hairline. How in the hell did he make those two final words sound like a sexual come-on? "Okay, then, I take back my apology," she replied. Two can play at this flirting game.

"Good. Unaccepted."

"Well, it's going to be a long trek," Annie said. "I guess we'll run into each other again?"

"Absolutely," Auggie replied. "In fact, any time you want to run into me again, come on by."

He smiled again, and threw her a wink as he turned and walked away, his stick – no, his cane - swinging side to side. His steps were deliberate, and he seemed to be gauging the layout of their train car. Annie watched for a few more seconds before she realized it was pretty rude and returned back to her cabin.

A quick look in the mirror of her bathroom showed her cheek slightly reddened, but as the other side of her face matched, she knew it wasn't from the collision. She stared at her reflection, wondering what she should do. Sure, she was 18, pretty mature for her age, wise and responsible enough to travel across the country on her own, but still, she thought. She was just 18, and if her guesses of ages was correct, Auggie was at least in his 20s.

She'd probably never see him again after they arrived in San Francisco on Thursday. It was Tuesday now. Two nights and almost three days. A lot could happen in that amount of time, and maybe – Annie shook her head and smirked at herself in the mirror. "You read too many romance novels," she said to her reflection. "Things like this don't happen in real life."

And with that thought, she returned to her bench seat beside the window to catch a glimpse of the city as the train wound its way west.

* * *

Half an hour later, Annie had her fill of sightseeing. There's just so many blurry trees and buildings a person could look at without getting nauseous. On top of that, she hadn't eaten much breakfast, what with the change of trains and layover. Her lunch reservation wasn't for two hours, but maybe she could take some of her spending money and hit up the snack car. The previous train boasted a pretty good array of convenience items, so maybe this one would, as well.

Grabbing up her bag, she slung it over her shoulder and headed out. A few steps, and like a case of déjà vu, Auggie's door swung open. She knew this time to stop walking, and even backed up a few steps. The white cane came out first, swinging slowly from side to side.

She had to stifle a chuckle at his actions, but it seemed he heard her half-giggle, 'cause when he stepped out and shut his door, he swung his head in her direction. "Annie? We must stop meeting like this."

"How'd you know it was me?" she asked.

"Unless there's someone else on this train who washes her hair in grapefruit-scented shampoo, it had to be you," he said with a smile, leaning up against his door. "Waiting for me? That's kind of stalker-ish, don't you think?"

Annie shook her head at his over-the-top flirting, putting in an eyeroll for good measure. Then her stomach growled, and she remembered what she left her room for. "No, of course not. I didn't have much for breakfast, and lunch is way too far off for my stomach's comfort. I was headed to the snack car."

"Really? Me, too. Would you show me where it is? I was going to grab a porter or attendant, but –"

"I guess," Annie said. "Follow me."

"Wait, would you mind if I kept hold of your arm? It's easier –"

"There's no way we can walk side-by-side here," Annie pointed out. Then, not wanting to wait any longer to eat or argue the logistics, she slid her hand into his. "Follow me."

Thankfully, he didn't protest, and soon they were through the passenger cars to their destination. Annie was about to let go of his hand, but thought better of it. He'd probably only just stand where she left him, or barrel into someone else.

Annie didn't mind too much, and given the look on his face, he didn't mind, either. After grabbing their choices, Annie led him over to a small table and sat down, opening her soda pop and Pop-tarts.

She ate the first pastry quickly, feeling better as the sugar and calories hit her system. She leaned back in her chair and sipped at her drink and found Auggie looking her way in deep thought.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Just trying to figure you out," he replied, popping a potato chip in his mouth.

"What's to figure out? We just met."

"Exactly," he said, raising a finger. "We just met, but here we are, on our first date. Usually I have to work much harder."

Maybe it was because she had a little bit of time to think about it, or perhaps the inundation of calories had her thinking more clearly now, but no matter how good-looking Auggie was, his continuous flirting in lieu of actual conversation was beginning to annoy her. Ben used to do the same thing, and you know what they say. Once bitten and all that. She stuffed the rest of her food into her bag and screwed the cap back on her bottle of Mountain Dew.

"See ya around, Auggie," she said, standing up. She'd gotten a few steps away before being stopped by his hand on her wrist.

"Hey, where you going? Did I say something wrong?" Auggie asked, wondering what exactly happened in the past 60 seconds to have her running away. Hadn't they been getting along pretty well?

"I'm going back to my room. If you can move past opening lines and flirting, I'll talk to you later," she replied with a not-so-subtle tug on her arm. She hoped he'd take the hint and not make a scene. After a few seconds, his hand dropped off her wrist, and she walked back down the corridor.

Wow, Auggie thought to himself. Way to go, champ. First actual cool girl he'd met in over a year, and he ruined it all trying to be smooth and cool. He knew she was a lot different than other girls he met, given how she made fun of him earlier. In the past, most girls he met melted with one of his winks, or saw the cane and immediately tried to "kiss it and make it all better."

This Annie was a breath of fresh air, and he refused to let it end like this. They had two days on this nonstop run until they reached San Francisco. Plenty of time to make up.

Some might call him full of himself and conceited, but hey, he's a 20-year-old college guy, and ever since he hit puberty and girls started smelling good and giggling, he'd never been without female companionship.

It wasn't just that ladies loved a blind guy. They did, but the Anderson boys had a reputation, and just because the youngest had a missing sense didn't mean anything. Once or twice, he got serious about a girl, but life as a college student meant nothing really lasted. Auggie's plan was to graduate, get a good job, save some money, then find a girl and settle down. Eventually buy a house, have a couple kids. Probably not five, like his parents had, but they were happy together, and he yearned for what they had.

So, he thought to himself as he crunched on his potato chips, new plan. He wasn't stupid. His 4.0 average in computer sciences at Stanford was evidence of that. When one algorithm failed, he didn't throw away the entire idea. He simply approached it from a different angle.

Plan in mind, he gathered his snacks and stood. He took a hold of his white cane and turned, heading to the corridor. 20 years of blindness had taught him well to memorize the layout of a new place as quickly as possible. He counted the steps through the cars down to his room, droped his stuff in and returned to the corridor. Annie said her room was adjacent to his, so it should be right here.

* * *

Safe back in her room, Annie stowed away the snacks she brought and decided to spend some time going over her college information. Once she got there, she'd have a week to settle in before classes started. Dorm life, she thought. The houses that they built and renovated for student life looked beautiful on the website, and the only thing Annie still had to worry about was a decent roommate. First year usually didn't consist of much other than introductory courses, but Annie knew for years now what she wanted to study and do for the rest of her life.

The Linguistics Department at Stanford was world-renowned, and she couldn't wait to dive headlong into it. Thanks to a grandfather who spoke Russian and was willing to teach a bubbly 5-year-old on his knee, Annie had been bilingual most of her life. Since then, she took whatever language course was offered at middle school, and then high school.

Once her laptop finally booted up, she clicked into her academic account and began to read through her course list. She didn't get far, though, 'cause a knock sounded at her door.

"Annie?" Auggie's voice called through.

Well, Annie thought, she did say she'd talk to him later. She just hoped he took the hint that she wasn't one for over-the-top flirting and girlish giggles. She hadn't bothered locking her door, so she just shouted out, "It's open!"

The door opened, and he walked in, his cane marking his way. After a few steps, though, he paused. "Where are you?"

"Over here," Annie said. She knew all the compartments were set up exactly the same, and if he knew his way around his, he could find his way to her seating.

He nodded and walked toward her, tapping his way slowly before feeling for the cushion and sitting down. So far, so good, he thought.

"Thanks for not kicking me out," he said.

"Welcome."

"Do over?" he asked.

"Depends. Do you speak in more than opening lines?"

The smile came out on that one, and Annie was relieved to see that it was genuine; not a smirk or accompanied by a flirty wink.

"Of course," Auggie replied. "I can even talk in another language, if you'd prefer."

"Really?" Annie asked. There's no way he'd know she was a linguist herself, so she decided to play along, not being able to help herself. "Which one?"

"Binary."

It took her a few seconds to decipher what he meant, but when she did, she couldn't hold back a laugh. "Touche, Auggie. So, what are you, some kind of computer geek?"

"Not yet, no," he said. "I'll be able to use that title once I graduate in two years."

Ahh, Annie thought, so he's a student. He looked young enough for it, but you could never tell these days with the wonders of Botox and plastic surgery. "So you're on your way to college, too?"

"Yep, junior year at Stanford. Parents are paying for it, so gotta spend the summers with them in Chicago," he explained. "What about you? I take it you're on your way somewhere specific and not just riding the rails for fun?"

Annie was too busy shaking her head at how weird fate seemed to be playing with her to answer right away. Seriously? Not only had she met a cool, cute guy, but he was heading to the same place she was?

"Is it a secret?" Auggie asked after she didn't answer. "Oh, my God. You're really CIA, aren't you? Am I in trouble for guessing your real identity?"

"Hell, no," Annie said. "I'm just in shock right now. You go to Stanford?"

"Yeah, why? Is that a problem? If you're going to a rival college, I'm not all that into sports, so you don't have to worry."

"Huh, imagine that. I guess the whole 'strangers on a train' scenario I was building in my mind can be forgotten," she mused. "I'm on my way to Stanford, too."

Auggie's head cocked to the side. Did she just say what he thought she said? "Strangers on a train? Now who's flirting? I should get all huffy and storm off."

"Go ahead," Annie countered, knowing pretty well he wouldn't do anything of the sort. "I'll just see you on campus, then."

"I don't think so," Auggie said, leaning back. "You intrigue me, Miss Annie -"

He was fishing for her last name, Annie knew, and though her innate cautious nature which had grown all summer after Ben's abrupt departure kept her from throwing herself at guys, her instincts told her to trust this one.

"Walker," she said. "My full name is Anne Catherine Walker, and I'm from New York on my way to Stanford where I am enrolled as a freshman to study Linguistics."

The full disclosure now out in the open, Auggie felt a sense of satisfaction. "Pleasure to meet you, Miss Walker. Auggie Anderson, from Chicago, entering my junior year at Stanford, where I'm studying Computer Science."

"Nice to meet you, too, Mr. Anderson."

They seemed on pretty neutral ground now, and Auggie felt the time had come to ask the question. "So, now that the formalities are over, want to tell me why you left me alone in the snack car?" he asked.

Annie figured that was pretty self-evident, but maybe with his lack of sight, Auggie required more verbal cues and explanation. "You were laying it on pretty thick, you know."

"It's worked in the past," he replied.

"I'm sure it has," Annie replied. "Did you have to tackle them first, as well?"

"Sometimes, or else, I'd trip them with my cane."

The banter was too much for Annie to keep up, and she disolved into giggles. Auggie laughed, as well, and it took them a full minute to sober back up.

"Seriously, Auggie. I'm not a prude or a party pooper," Annie said. "When I left New York City, I just wanted to get to college and get my degree so I can do what I've always wanted to do."

"What's that?"

"Travel the world," she said. "See life outside the confines of a city. Talk to people in a language other than English."

"That's four long years away," Auggie pointed out. "Are you going to spend the entire time with your nose in a book?"

"Of course not."

"Then why not have some fun along the way?" he asked, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees.

Annie couldn't really figure out where he was going with this. Was he some sort of Stanford welcoming committee member?

"I never said I didn't know how to have fun," she said, remembering back to her last two years of high school.

"Prove it."

* * *

**A/N So, whaddya think? Better?**


	2. Chapter 2

Prove it? Prove what, exactly? And how? Considering how well they were getting along, Annie felt another little prickling of annoyance. Why was he pushing so hard? Was he bored, or did girls generally just fall at his feet from his attentions. "August –"

"Uh-uh, call me Auggie, please," he corrected.

"Auggie," Annie ground out. "What exactly do you expect me to do to prove that I know how to have fun?"

"Well, if we weren't stuck in a metal tube for the next two days, I'd suggest some stuff, but as it stands, I can think of a few things that'd be interesting."

There it was again, that smile. Annie could swear he had more teeth than the average person, given how they were shining out of his mouth. Maybe giving him the benefit of the doubt was a bad idea. She wished she could be the kind of girl that Auggie obviously was used to. "Auggie, I said before that come-ons like that don't interest me."

"Come-ons?" he repeated. "What exactly did I say that was remotely sexual?"

"It's not just what you say, and maybe you don't realize you're doing it, but your smile looks positively wolfish right now."

Oh, damn, Auggie thought, immediately wiping the smile off of his face. He usually was in control of his facial features, but sometimes his emotions got the best of him. Like right now. "Sorry, is that better?"

"A little bit," Annie replied, though her skepticism stayed. "You really weren't doing it on purpose?"

His shoulders lifted in a shrug, and he chuckled to himself. "No, sorry. Side effect of not being able to see my own face."

Annie wasn't quite sure how to respond to that. She felt no compunction to treat him special or differently, and it didn't look like he expected her to do so.

Her silence unnerved Auggie, and he knew the time had come to put all her worries to rest, or else he risked alienating her even further. "Look, I meant what I said before," he said. "Let's do-over. You pretend you never heard me try a pickup line on you, and I pretend I didn't enjoy slamming against you in the corridor."

Annie shook her head, fighting a giggle. He's either doing this on purpose, or, more likely, he can't help himself. Either way, she started to think that maybe this chance meeting was a good thing. A new state, a new school, trying to navigate everything all by herself. If Auggie was offering friendship, who was she to say no? Besides, having a cute guy inadvertently hit on you from time to time soothed her rather downtrodden heart.

"Agreed," she said. He nodded, and she saw half a smile start on his lips before he pulled it down to a more friendly grin. "So, do you want to go to your room, and we meet in the hall again, or –"

"No, no," Auggie said, though, he thought to himself, bumping into her full-length was not an unwelcome mental image. "Do-over in the general sense, not literal."

He leaned back on the bench seat and crossed his fingers on his stomach in what he hoped was a casual, non-flirty type pose. "So, tell me more about yourself."

Annie matched his pose and began talking, telling Auggie first the basics, about her older sister Danielle and her parents who worked in the financial district of New York City. As memories of that concrete jungle played up in her mind, she explained how she always felt a little bit of an outsider because she never really fit into the norm. It seemed everyone around her loved city life and was happy and content to live in their little bubble of a neighborhood. Annie never felt that way, and once she saw, through books and the television, how exciting the world was around them, she wanted out.

Auggie let her talk, delighting in the nuances of her voice and how much emotion came through in her words. Their upbringings clashed, as he came from a large, midwestern family and lived most of his life in a small town. But one major thread of her life was one he knew all too well. The knowledge that, no matter what he did or how he tried to fit in, he'd always be different.

Sure, his difference was permanent and much more direct than Annie's, but the main points were there. No wonder he felt drawn to her from the first moment. It wasn't just that she stood up to him, but that, deep down, they were so alike. Annie wanted out of her concrete jungle, and Auggie wanted out of the bubble his blindness threatened to pull him into. Was she the one to yank him out?

"So, I guess that's enough about me," Annie said. She surprised herself how long she talked and how into detail she went. Some things not even her sister knew about. "Your turn."

As Auggie launched into his background, Annie returned the favor and listened intently. She learned that he'd been blind since birth, and being the youngest of a family of five boys in a loving, tight-knit family, he had no problem coming to terms with his lack of sight and learning how to get around and learn. He talked about how his parents insisted that he attend regular school instead of being sent off, and how his brothers, all big, strapping guys who played every sport available, became his bodyguards, in a sense.

She laughed along with him as he recounted one incident where a bully in grade school tried to shake him down for his lunch, and his brothers had picked the boy up, a limb in each of their hands, and marched him to the principal's office.

Her laughter seemed to spur him on, and he continued talking, regaling more stories about growing up and the choices he had to make in life, including going to college in California instead of Chicago, as his parents wanted him to. Apparently, they'd only agreed when he pointed out that Alex, the brother closest in age to him, lived in California and was willing to help Auggie out.

As she listened, Annie felt a slight wash of embarrassment flow through her. She'd painted him as a shallow womanizer within a few minutes, but he wasn't. Being blind didn't even phase him in the least. He'd been surrounded by loving family and close friends his entire life and took comfort and strength from them. It kind of made her want to call her Mom and Dad and thank them.

Though she could've stayed there another hour listening to Auggie talk, a glance at her watch showed it ten minutes until her lunch, and she needed to get down to the dining car.

"Sorry, Auggie, for interrupting, but my lunch reservation is in ten minutes, and that Pop-Tart didn't really appease my appetite," she said.

"Is it almost noon already?"

"Yep. When do you have lunch?" she asked, standing up.

"In ten minutes," he replied while getting to his feet. The smallness of the compartment made itself evident as they were about as close as they were when they first met out in the corridor. Auggie's heightened sense of smell took in again a waft of her citrus-scented shampoo. He would forever associate that clean, fresh smell with his new friend. "Would you mind accompanying me to the dining car, Miss Walker?"

"Now, if you had used that line on me in the beginning," Annie said, taking up his hand and placing it in the crook of her elbow, "I would have said yes."

Once they made it to the dining car, the waiter there almost seemed relieved that they wanted to sit together. He explained that a lot of the passengers on board this trek were riding solo and were hesitant to sit with strangers. Annie almost laughed and explained that they pretty much were, but she couldn't. Maybe an hour ago, they were, but she had a feeling that Auggie was fast becoming one of the best friends she'd ever had.

Later that afternoon, Annie found herself hanging out in Auggie's room. They'd enjoyed a decent lunch and wound up talking about anything and everything until they were kicked out. He did most of the talking, though, and Annie hung on every word. She wished she had half as many stories and life experiences, and over the next few hours as they hung out in his room, she began to think about how much she'd missed in her life 'cause she was always thinking about the future. She thought she'd experienced life and sex and love with Ben, but a few months weren't nearly enough to make up for what she'd missed.

Right then and there, she decided to not waste one more day living in the future. Well, not entirely. The practical side of her reminded the fun-craving side that she still had to get a degree before going out into the world. But doing so didn't take 24/7 concentration, right?

She looked across the train car at the man who brought about this life-changing decision. Should she tell him? No, she thought. His ego was already naturally inflated. But, she thought, didn't she read somewhere how people come along in your life just at that magic point when you need them? She could just take this meeting as finding a new friend, but the deep-down stirrings that'd ignited as he held her by the shoulders in the corridor hadn't abated. If anything, the spark kept fizzling and crackling with every minute they spent together.

She wondered what would happen if she kissed him? He wouldn't be flirting with her if he didn't like her, right? She just wanted to test the waters, find out if he was really interested.

Before she lost her nerve, Annie stood and crossed the small space between them. He sat with his eyes closed, listening to his iPod, his head swaying to the music. Her fingers shook a bit as she raised her hand to his cheek, but once it contacted, Annie found a thread of courage.

Auggie pulled the buds out of his ears at the sudden, unexpected touch. "Annie, what –"

Before he could protest – hell, before she could talk herself out of it, Annie leaned forward and pressed her lips to his.

Whoa, Auggie thought. Why was Annie suddenly kissing him? Not that he minded, hell, he'd been wanting to kiss her since they slammed against each other and he got a whiff of whatever shampoo she used. He'd have to ask her what brand it was, but he had more important things to think about now.

Like how her hands cupped his jaw, their softness rasping against the bit of stubble that was there. Her lips brushed his with such a mix of passion and innocence that he was momentarily stunned. The first brush showed hesitance, but she grew bolder as she kissed him twice, then three times. By the fourth, he couldn't stand it any longer.

His body didn't care why she was kissing him. It only knew to reciprocate before she took his stillness for rejection and pulled away. He dropped his iPod to his side and gathered her in his arms, taking her weight as they both shifted and kissed and held tight to each other.

One of her hands slid around to the back of his head, her nails scraping along the sensitive skin where his hairline met his neck. He shuddered at the feeling, and once she lay safely across his lap, he held her with one arm across her back, and the other diving into her hair. His sight useless, he used his hands to map her body. Long hair with a tendency to curl tangled around his fingers. Lithe, athletic body. He'd have to ask about her coloring later, but as far as he could tell, she was beautiful.

Annie's heart played a rapid staccato in her chest as Auggie took control of the kiss and held her tight. Past experiences gave her memories of hot makeout sessions like this, but somehow, this was different. Maybe because she and Auggie were almost strangers, or that he was a few years older and obviously more experienced? She didn't know, nor did she care.

And then, all previous memories of kissing were swept away as Auggie coaxed her mouth open with a sweep of his tongue against her lower lip. An unbidden whimper glided out of her mouth into his as he deepened the kiss. How could she be so turned on, almost like putty, helpless in his arms by just a few kisses, she thought. He hadn't even hit second base yet, but she was more than willing to let him go for a homerun now if he asked.

While intent on exploring and tasting and feeling the sensual and delicious girl in his arms, Auggie became aware that her grasp on him – the back of his neck and his chest – was becoming tighter, and her short nails were clawing at him almost frantically. Even as they slowly tasted and explored each other's mouths, his acute hearing picked up her sighs and gasps and rapid heartbeat. They were only kissing, yet she seemed to be reacting as if they were in the full throes of the act itself.

He knew they were moving way too fast, and and though he had images and fantasies of them doing this and more for a few hours now, it wasn't right. Not now, not like this on the narrow bench seat of an Amtrak train. Time was on their side, after all. Another day anad a half on the train, and then all year at Stanford.

He couldn't believe he was about to do this, but he began to slowly withdraw, pulling back until their lips barely touched. He kissed her one last time, a light brush before lifting her up and sitting her back down beside him.

"Auggie, what's wrong?" she whispered. "Did I –"

He did nothing but smile gently at her and scoot back in his chair, and Annie felt a wave of embarrassment come over her. Oh, God, she thought. Did she just launch herself at her new friend? All she wanted to do was experiment a bit, and he seemed into her what with all the flirting and winking. Did she make a mistake?

She couldn't bear to stick around and find out. "Oh, geez, I'm so sorry, Auggie. I can't believe I did that. Forgive me?"

"Annie, no, wait," he said, reaching out for her and missing. She didn't seem to want to hang around for an answer, as he heard his door open and shut. What the hell, he thought. Why was she apologizing? Did she think he hadn't enjoyed it, and that's why he pushed her away?

All those questions, plus the main one of why she decided to come over and kiss him out of the blue rattled around in his head before he shook it fiercely to clear. The only place he'd get answers was on the other side of the wall, and he'd be damned if he spent the next day and a half with her ducking him. He grabbed up his cane and headed out.

* * *

**A/N Hope everyone's enjoying the new, improved story as it's unfolding. Would've gotten this out yesterday, but the internet went out, inexpicably, for an hour and a half. Seriously, world? Anyhoo, that plus my backup hard drive becoming inaccessible has resulted in a weird technology-disadvantaged past few days. BUT good news. I got everything on my backup drive back, as the old CPU that held all my music and pictures was still, barely, operational. Now got all my music, and my iPod is getting a workout. lol**

**Note to call2worship: I seriously plan on eventually getting to the story idea you gave me. It's too rich and exciting to pass up on. You rock! I'd like to work on this first, though, and I can't leave Barista Love too much longer. Don't want you to think I forgot. :)**


	3. Chapter 3

Her cheeks hot with embarassment clashed with the redness and slight swelling of her lips. Annie clapped her hands against both while letting herself back into her room. She sat down hard on her seat, half-upset and half exhilarated by what just occurred.

She could still feel Auggie's lips against hers, and mixed with the flush from her hot cheeks, her emotions felt like they were on a merry-go-round. God, what did she just do?

She knew, and she pounded her hands against the hard seatit. She probably blew the only chance she had of being any kind of a friend with Auggie. His pushing away of her after only a minute of kissing proved that. Had she more experience, maybe she could've read the cues better. Hell, she probably would've known not to just attack a guy just because he smiles and winks at her.

A flash of her future ran through her head. She was going to wind up alone and old with 20 cats. It was the only thing left, if she couldn't even attract an overly friendly, flirtatious guy who didn't even try to hide that he wanted her from the start.

She threw her arm across her eyes, trying to hide. So deep into her self-pity and wallowing that she didn't hear her door open and the slow, deliberate steps of someone approaching.

Auggie didn't bother knocking, as her door wasn't entirely closed. He slid in and cocked his head around to discern where she was. By the sound of her breathing, and because these rooms weren't all that big to begin with, he figured she was on her bench seat. He walked to it, his hand reached out to find her.

"Annie?"

No, no, she thought. He didn't follow her, did he? Wasn't her humiliation complete enough? She removed her arm from her eyes, thinking maybe she was just imagining his voice, but no, he was standing there, too close. She grabbed his hand and pulled slightly so he'd sit down.

Well, Auggie thought, at least she didn't throw him out or run away again. "Are you okay?"

"Yes."

The word may have been in the affirmative, but the way she said it told him that everything was not okay. It was said too quickly and had too much force behind it. "Hey, about what just happened -"

"It's okay, Auggie," Annie said, patting his hand and wishing he'd just let it go. "I said I was sorry for attacking you like that, and let's just pretend it didn't happen, okay?"

"Why are you apologizing?"

Annie could've screamed in frustration. "Because you obviously didn't want to do it anymore," she pointed out. "Why are you arguing with me about this? It's embarrassing enough as it is."

Auggie almost felt like laughing at what appeared to be a somewhat comical situation, but he didn't. He had to get her to talk. "Annie, please calm down, okay? All we did was kiss. Why are you acting like this?"

"Why?" she asked. Was he some sort of sadist, who pushed girls away, then had them fill out a survey of how they felt afterwards? "Maybe because you obviously didn't enjoy it that much, considering you stopped it."

And again, Auggie had to bite back his laughter. He'd never met anyone like Annie before, so passionate and forthright, yet, as he knew now, so obviously innocent and unworldly. She told him she dreamed of traveling, of escaping her concrete prison, but what if she'd been dreaming for so long, that she'd only now been out on her own?

He risked raising a hand to her shoulder before saying, "I didn't exactly push you away. You were laying in my lap, as I remember."

It was getting to be too much, and Annie's voice sobbed a bit. "Auggie, please."

"I didn't push you away because I didn't want you," he said quickly. "I just thought we were going a bit too fast."

"What?"

"You surprised me, Annie," he explained, sliding his arm further until his fingers reached the back of her neck. He stroked the soft skin there. "Think about it. All day, you've been chastising me for making inappropriate comments, so I figured you just wanted to be friends. And then, well, we both know what you did."

Oh, geez, Annie thought, her eyes closing as a different sort of embarrassment washed through her. When he put it that way, she could see what he meant. Never before had she felt her inexperience so much. One boyfriend does not an experienced adult make, she thought.

"Yeah, I know what I did."

"Care to explain why you changed your mind?" he asked.

Annie shook her head, but the softness of Auggie's fingers on her neck was wearing her down. "Do I have to? Can't we just forget the past 15 minutes happened and go back to the way we were before?" she asked.

"I'm not sure about you, but I don't want to."

His hand moved slightly to slide up into her hair, and with firm but gentle pressure, he turned her head to face him. Though she was becoming accustomed to his not being able to look her directly in the eyes, his blindness didn't hamper the emotion and feelings she saw through them. Plus, this close to each other, his eyes nearly met hers, anyway, and with that one look, she was gone. "Neither do I."

"Then why -"

"I know, I know," Annie interrupted. "Why did I kiss you? Because – well, I guess you should know. The last semester of high school, I had a boyfriend, and – well, you don't need to know the details, but suffice to say that he was my first everything. He left after graduation, without even an explanation except to say he'd had plans to enter the Army or something. Anyway, it kind of put me off guys for a while, and I decided to concentrate on college and moving across the country, and that's where you come in."

"I'm sorry to hear that your first boyfriend was an asshole."

"Don't say that!" she snapped. "Ben was a nice guy. You know what, just, forget I told you about him. Let's just say, I don't have much experience, and you were there and flirting with me. I said I was sorry, so just get over yourself."

"Hey, don't get angry," he said. "I take back what I said about the guy, but truly, Annie? I liked kissing you. I'd like to do it again, but maybe a heads up next time is all I ask."

"Oh," Annie breathed, relief rushing through her. "So, you're not mad or put off?"

"Hells no," he said, bringing his other hand up to cup her cheek. "And, if you're not too embarrassed or anything, do you think we could -"

He never did finish that sentence, and Annie watched with her breath caught in her throat as he brushed his thumb over her lips, then leaned towards her. Ahh, Annie thought. She'd wondered how he'd be able to kiss someone without being able to see them. She held still, waiting to see what a kiss instigated by him would feel like.

By his memory of their kiss not ten minutes ago and his guiding fingers, Auggie leaned towards her. He was sure she'd pull away again or push him, show some sign that he was misreading her signals. But she did none of those things.

Not wanting to make the same mistake twice, he decided to give her an out, though, and paused a couple of inches away.

Oh, no, Annie thought. Why did he stop? Did he really want her to initiate again? What kind of game was this? No, she decided. The time for self-doubt and reproach was over. He clearly wanted this as much as her, given what he said, so why not?

Mimicking his movements, she raised one hand to his neck and the other to his slightly stubbled jawline. His skin felt so soft underneath, and she longed to explore further, but there'd be time for that later. When she kissed him before, he'd been startled and questioning. Now, though, he smiled, and before either of them knew what was happening, the space between their mouths disappeared.

Auggie didn't wait like he had before to start responding. Then he'd been startled, but now that all the differences and explanations and misunderstandings had been put aside, he was free to explore. He had no fear that she'd pull away or push him away now.

* * *

Just 12 hours ago, Annie remembered, she'd been moaning and complaining about having to spend the next couple of days on a cramped train, but now? The two days would go by quicker than she wanted them to. She curled up closer to Auggie as they lounged on her pullout bed. Their makeout session that afternoon, well, the second one, had them groping at each other like the teenagers they were. Well, she was. Auggie had more experience, that's for sure.

She didn't like comparing him to Ben, but since he's the only other man she's kissed, how could she not? The fact was, there was no real comparison. They were too different. Ben reminded her of herself. That's what drew her to him in the first place. He had the same thirst for life and want to travel the world that she did. Too bad he didn't mean for them to do that traveling together, like she'd thought at the time.

Auggie, on the other hand, seemed grounded and easygoing, funny, and deeply loyal to his family and friends. He pretty much embodied everything Annie craved. She just hoped she wasn't making a mistake letting him in. She wasn't sure she could take two broken hearts in a 12-month period.

"Hey, Auggie?"

"Hmm?"

He'd had his eyes closed, and for a second, she thought maybe he was sleeping, but he opened them again.

"Will you have someone waiting for you in San Francisco?"

"Yeah, got my transportation all planned out. My parents wouldn't have it any other way," he chuckled.

"Then after we leave here, I won't see you until we get on campus," she said. Then, taking a deep breath, she stretched out onto her back, away from him. "Or, you know, maybe even after that. Our classes are in two different buildings, probably, unless you're in my dorm suite."

And they were doing so well, Auggie thought. But she hadn't completely ran away, so that's an improvement. He raised up on his side next to her. "Annie, you're thinking too much again."

"Am I?"

"Yes, but I'll tell you everything, anyway, just to calm your fears."

She shifted, and by the feel of her legs as they brushed against his, he surmised she was on her side facing him, as well. Only a few inches separated them, and he had to tamp down the surge of deisre he felt right then. Words first.

"Remember I told you about my brothers? One of them, Alex, lives near Stanford. I stay with him. My first year there, he had to help me quite a bit, getting to and from the campus, finding my way around. But by now, I can do it myself. I take the bus to and from campus and can get around without any help."

"Alex is the oldest one, right?" Annie asked.

"Yep, and the most protective. When Mom and Dad were insistent on having me attend a nearby school, I put in a call to Alex, asking for his help. He mentioned Stanford, and voila," Auggie summarized. Actually, it took a couple of months of haggling and begging to get his parents to agree. He owed Alex a lot.

"I'd like to meet him," Annie said.

"Don't worry, you will. This train ride isn't going to be the end of this," he said, running a hand up her arm. She hummed in appreciation, and he felt that same stirring. How is it possible that this girl he'd met only this morning so ingrained herself in his mind and his future plans?

"I'm glad to hear it," Annie replied. Then, with a glance at her watch and the darkened windows, she sighed. "It's getting late. How much longer can you stay?"

"I'd like to never leave, but I'm sure we can relax here for a little bit longer."

Those words gave Annie the peace she was looking for, and she leaned forward to kiss him softly. "Hey, what were you listening to on your iPod before?"

Auggie smiled as her lips left his. "I'll let you listen, but promise you won't make fun."

"Why would I –"

"Promise, Annie?"

"Yes, I promise."

Auggie dug his iPod out of his pants pocket and with practiced fingers turned it on and hit play. He held one of the earbuds out for her while taking one for himself.

Annie settled the bud into her ear and gasped a bit when she heard what seemed to be jazz music coming out of it. "What's this?"

"Charles Mingus performing live at Carnegie Hall," Auggie explained, waiting for her reaction.

"I never heard of him," Annie said.

"What do you think?"

"I think there's a lot more to you, Auggie, than I first thought," she said honestly. "But I like it."

"Good," he said, and to make them more comfortable as they listened, he tucked his arm under her shoulders. She tucked her head into his shoulder, and they lay quietly, listening to his favorite music.

* * *

**A/N Hey, what do you know, new material! More info, too, with the inclusion of Auggie's brother and A&A deciding to make a go of it. Glad y'all are liking this. Barista Love is now finished, and I'm so happy with the great response it's gotten.**

**Please review.**


	4. Chapter 4

The rest of the trip passed way too quickly, for both Annie and Auggie. They wound up eating all of their meals together and spent the rest of the time walking the train, meeting other passengers, or just hanging out in both of their rooms. Annie made sure not to let her anxiety or insecurity flare up anymore.

Her running away from him still mortified her. Thankfully, he didn't bring it up again. They spent their time talking and hanging out, enjoying each other's company. Even if they never kissed again, Annie felt she could talk to him about anything. How she came to trust someone so fast, she couldn't figure out. She refused to second guess anymore. This train trip seemed to be a major turning point in her life, and she wanted to make the best of it.

While he lay in his bunk Wednesday night, Auggie had a hard time falling asleep, even with the lulling motion of the train. Tomorrow, they'd be arriving in San Francisco, and yeah, they'd be going to the same University all year, but that was no guarantee they'd see each other on a regular basis.

He chuckled to himself, wondering what kind of spell had been cast to make him fall for a girl in 48 hours. The girlfriends he'd had in the past never made him feel this happy or content. Annie brought out his protective mode like no one else ever had. He knew what the guys at Stanford were like, and how they cased the female freshmen. He needed to make sure they knew Annie was his without Annie feeling smothered or put off. Her stubborn and independent streak was longer than this train.

A plot began to form in his mind of what they'd do upon arrival. Move-in was officially this weekend, so really, Annie could hold off on arriving at Stanford until Friday. He'd offer her dinner when the train stopped tomorrow afternoon. Alex always took him out to eat when he came back to town before going to the house.

Though a bachelor, Alex always liked a big house like the one they grew up in, but the extra three bedrooms almost always went unused. Auggie had his during the school year, but he'd ask Alex to have one available for Annie whenever she needed it, starting tomorrow night.

Yeah, that'd work, he thought. They'd have time to relax after the train ride, get their "ground legs" back under them. He didn't know about her, but the train ride always left him a bit out of sorts for a day or two. Then he'd help her settle into the dorm and show her around the campus. He had the layout memorized, and they'd be able to spend more time together before classes started.

He heard her moving around in the cabin next door, so he jumped out of bed and walked to his door, opening it and listening for sounds of anyone in the corridor. No one was out and about, so he walked over barefoot and knocked.

"Annie, you still up?"

After a few seconds, the door opened, and he said, "I didn't wake you up, did I?"

"No," Annie said, opening the door further to let him in, and thought, but at the sight of you in nothing but sleep pants, I may never get to sleep tonight. For a few seconds, she was conscious of her own attire of just an oversized tee, but then realized, well, duh.

"What are you doing awake?" she asked, leaning against the wall.

"I'd ask the same of you, but I was thinking," he said. "How about you put off checking into your dorm until Friday and come meet my brother tomorrow? He always takes me out to dinner, and I thought maybe you'd want to join us."

The way he stood there, unknowingly kissable with his bare chest in the dim light, fairly bouncing on his feet with enthusiasm made Annie smile. Sometimes he looked so adorable, she couldn't hold herself back from wrapping her arms around him. But what he said caught her unawares.

"You want me to meet your brother? Are you sure?"

"Yes, yes, very sure," Auggie said. "He's got a big house, so don't think you're imposing or anything."

"We're eating at his house?" Annie asked.

"Oh, no, usually just a restaurant or something. He likes to treat me, but I thought –"

He's blushing, Annie saw, as his voice trailed off, and his excitement dimmed into uncertainty. Gaah, she thought, could this guy get anymore perfect? "You thought I could come and hang out with you and your brother and check into Stanford this weekend?" she supplied.

"Yes!" he exclaimed. "But, I mean, only if you want to. You probably want to get settled in, so you know, it's up to you."

"Auggie," Annie said as she walked up to him and took his hand in hers. "I'd love to meet your brother, and if he doesn't mind, of course, we can hang out for a while before heading to Stanford."

"Really?"

"Yes, why are you so unsure? Did you think I'd say no?"

He shrugged, "I didn't know what you'd say. The last time we crossed a threshold in this, whatever this is, you ran off."

Annie gave his hand a playful squeeze and tug, "You're never gonna let me live that down, are you?"

"Nope."

"Just promise me you won't tell anyone else. I'm mortified enough as it is," she said.

"Promise," he said, then before Annie could realize what he was doing, his mouth came down and planted a kiss directly on her lips. Then he was gone back out of her room before she could figure out how he was able to do that.

* * *

The next afternoon, the porter came to Auggie's room to help him depart and help get his luggage off onto the platform. Auggie swore he heard the man huff when he told him to wait for Annie. Well, he thought, if the guy was expecting a tip, he wasn't getting one from him.

To hell if he allowed Annie get caught up in the rush of departing people and carry her own stuff. He wasn't about to lose her now. Telling the guy to hold on a minute, he knocked on Annie's door. She opened it almost immediately. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah, come on," she said, and he heard her pull her rollaway luggage through the door.

"The porter's going to help with the luggage," he said, walking back to his doorway where the man was waiting. "After you."

Soon they were standing on the platform, pieces of luggage situated on a push cart. "I e-mailed Alex our arrival time, so he should be here soon."

"I'd ask what he looks like, but –"

Auggie laughed, "I've been told we resemble each other, but he's my height, 28. Maybe you can go by that? "

"Well, he's probably looking for you, so –"

"Aug-gie!"

Both of their heads whipped around at the deep voice, and Auggie braced his feet, readying himself for the onslaught. Alex was fiercely protective of him, and his greetings always started with a big bear hug.

A handful of heavy footsteps, and bam, there he was, thick, muscular arms around his back. Auggie had gotten too big to lift and swing around, thank goodness, and their greetings had since morphed into the traditional "guy hug," tight, meaningful, and brief.

"Looking good, Auggie. I'd think a summer in Chicago would take away that tan, but I guess not."

Auggie grinned, "And you, man. You're gonna have to ease off on the hugs if you keep lifting weights."

They both laughed, and Alex said, "Got your stuff ready? I figured we'd drop it off at the house before heading out for dinner."

"Yeah, Alex, wait a second," Auggie said, pulling back on his arm.

"What is it, Aug? I'd like to beat traffic."

"Annie?"

Standing back from the obvious intimate family moment, Annie had been wondering when to take a step forward. She didn't want to interrupt, but when Auggie turned to her, her name on his lips along with a smile, she finally made her presence known and walked up to the two men. Alex did, indeed, resemble his brother, but he easily had a few inches on him, and as Auggie pointed out, he was more muscular.

"There you are," Auggie said, as her hand slid into his. "Alex, meet Annie Walker. We met on the train. She's going to Stanford, too, and I invited her to join us."

Annie thrust her hand out to Alex, "It's nice to meet you. Auggie's told me all about you."

He hesitated taking her hand and, Annie noticed, a smile didn't accompany his muttered "nice to meet you, too." Instead, he looked her up and down, and then frowned.

"Auggie, can I talk to you for a second?" he asked, taking him by the arm and pulled him away a few steps.

Annie knew they were trying to have a private conversation, but she heard every word on the open platform.

"What the hell, Alex?"

"Are you kidding me with this, Auggie? Picking up girls on the train?"

"Annie's not just a girl," he replied, his anger rising, and he pulled his arm out of his brother's grip. "And yeah, I just met her two days ago, but I happen to really like her, Alex. She's not just a random hookup."

Annie felt a little thrill at Auggie's words, but the "random girl" part made her think about what girls he's brought home in the past. No, she wouldn't be like that, she said to herself with a shake of her head. Maybe later, if he wanted to, they'd have that conversation.

Not now, though. Not with Alex staring daggers at her. Maybe this was a bad idea. The last thing she wanted to do was cause a family rift. "If this is a problem, I can just take the bus to Stanford and check into my dorm early. "

"No!" Auggie shouted. "Alex, Annie is my friend. She will be accompanying us to dinner, and since I know you've got a big house, I'd like for her to stay the night and get some rest in a real bed before checking into Stanford. If that's a problem with you, Annie and I will take the bus to the dorms, and I will look into staying there myself for the year."

Annie was more shocked than Alex at this point. She'd never seen Auggie angry before - well, three days isn't much to get to know a preson - but this version of him scared her a bit.

The threat seemed to work, however, 'cause Alex stopped glaring at her and turned back to his brother. After a few seconds of heavy thought, he said, "No need to get all dramatic, Augs. Of course, she can come to dinner and the house. It's just, you never mentioned her."

"We just met two days ago, Alex," Auggie pointed out.

"Your train had wifi, I know it did. You sent me an e-mail saying when to pick you up, but you didn't say anything about her."

"I sent that e-mail when I first got on the train, okay? Listen, we can argue and bicker on the platform or when we get back to the house. Which one do you want?"

"Let's go," Alex said, automatically taking control of the pushcart with all of their luggage on it. After a second of contemplation, he grabbed up Annie's bag lying beside it, added it to the pile and started walking. "Follow me."

Auggie inclined his head to her, and Annie placed his hand on her elbow. They had to walk fast to catch up to the departing man, and Annie whispered, "Are you sure this is okay?"

His fingers gave her bare arm a soothing few strokes, "He's just being the overprotective brother like he's always been. Maybe I should have told him about you, but I wanted to surprise him."

"You got your wish," Annie said with half a laugh. "But really, I don't want to cause any problems between you guys."

"You won't," he said. And, he thought, if he had anything to do about it, Alex would soon get over thinking Auggie was the same 8-year-old being bullied in school. His reaction still irked Auggie a bit, though. He'd been with girls in the past, so why did Annie's presence cause such a harsh reaction? A long talk was heading their way, he knew it.

But that'd wait until Annie was safe in her dorm, and he and his brother could hash it out. Now all he wanted to concentrate on was enjoying Annie's company for another 24 hours.

* * *

**A/N So, we've all met Alex. You think he's just being ovreprotective, or what?**

**Everyone enjoying this so far? I'd love to hear from all of you.**

**Please review.**


	5. Chapter 5

Well, Annie thought, if the Anderson brothers were at odds about her being there, they sure didn't show it. As soon as they'd arrived at Alex's SUV, his attitude had turned 180 degrees, and he waved off her offer to help load the trunk up with their luggage with a smile.

Then, as Auggie joined her in the back seat, his hand finding and never letting go of hers the entire ride to the house, Alex only grinned at the two of them in the rearview mirror. He then began asking about their train ride, how did it go, what were the amenities available.

Annie had learned that Auggie had taken a plane the past two years to and from Chicago, and it was only a quirk that he'd come by train this year. A very fortuitous quirk, Auggie had mentioned, pulling her hand up to his lips and kissing her knuckles.

Then Alex began asking Annie about her life, and she gave him the brief overview. She was born and raised in New York City. Her parents and sister loved it, but she always wanted to travel. She'd have left it at that, but Auggie began filling in the blanks, telling Alex about how many languages Annie spoke and how she could travel pretty much anywhere in the world. Her cheeks had begun to burn a bit with embarrassment, but Alex gave her a look of awe and said he was impressed.

Annie sat on tenterhooks the entire drive and through dinner, which was delicious, but she was pretty much waiting for the other shoe to drop. Alex had a problem with her, and though his manners now showed they could get along, she still wanted to know why he was so against her presence when they first met.

Well, she thought, she's not in a position to ask him about it now. She'd known Auggie only a few days, and Alex a handful of hours. Neither length of time gave her the right to interrogate either of them. No, she'd pretend along with both of them that everything was fine. Besides, she had more things to think about now. She only had until tomorrow to enjoy Auggie's undivided attention before diverting her attention to dorm and college life.

She was now in the guest room of Alex's house, changing her clothes into something more comfortable for the night. After strapping her feet into more comfortable wedges, she opened the door of her bedroom, only to close it when she heard loud, hushed voices echoing down the hall.

It seemed Auggie and Alex were having "that talk" about her, thinking she was out of ear range. Annie should've shut the door again and wait for their argument to end, but she couldn't help herself and kept an ear to the crack left in the partially opened door.

A few minutes earlier…

Auggie was waiting for it, but he was sure his brother would wait for Annie to either go to sleep or leave tomorrow to start in on him, but nope. As soon as Annie excused herself to change clothes, Alex started in.

"So, Auggie, what's going wrong in your life now?"

"What?"

"I've been trying for a few hours now to figure all this out, so tell me."

Auggie knew the tone of voice, and he dropped down on the couch beside his brother. "Nothing's wrong, Alex. Why would you even think that something would have to be wrong?"

"Maybe because you've so attached yourself to a barely legal hot blonde after only two days."

Auggie's hands clenched so tight, he knew he'd have fingernail indentures in his palm. He'd be on the losing end, he knew, if he even tried to take a swing at his brother, though he deserved it.

"You've never had anything bad to say about any other girl I've dated. Why the third degree now?" he spat out.

"You know why, Aug. All those other girls didn't look at you with stars in their eyes and invite themselves to stay over."

Auggie didn't have to be able to see to know Alex out quotes marks up in the air over the last two words. "However Annie looks at me, you haven't known her long enough to make assumptions on how we feel about each other."

"And you have?"

He had a point there, but still. "Alex, what have you got against me finding someone?"

"What? Nothing."

"Doesn't sound like it. And before you insult Annie or me yet again, let me explain to you how we met."

Annie knew she shouldn't be listening, but it was way too intriguing to hear of the last few days from Auggie's point of view. She knew how she felt about him, but to hear his side of it, he seemed to mirror her feelings.

"It was at that moment, when she apologized and ran away from me, that I knew something about her was different from anyone else I'd ever met. She's innocent, yes, but that's only because she's lived in a city for all of her life, sheltered. But she decided to move across the country to go to college, all by herself. That shows she's got guts and determination. She's told me all about herself, and I told her everything about me. And Alex, she doesn't care that I'm blind, okay?"

The way Auggie's voice became a bit more emotional had Annie almost wanting to walk out into the living room to hear more, but she knew he wouldn't be so forthright with her standing there, so she listened even more carefully.

"Not once has she asked me about it. Not once have I felt like she's being nice to me just 'cause I'm blind. I have never –" Auggie had to take a deep breath at this point, 'cause he felt a rush of emotion build up in his chest. "I can't let her go, Alex. Not now. I need her in my life, if only for the reason that it'd make me feel normal for once."

"Okay, Auggie. Okay," Alex said.

Annie opened her bedroom door a little further to see what was happening. What she saw gave her a feeling of peace and just a touch of emotion as the two brothers embraced as they had on the platform before Alex saw her.

If this is the kind of closeness and togetherness that made up the entire Anderson family, how would the rest of his brothers, or even his parents, react to her bond with Auggie? Maybe, and even hopefully, Alex was the most protective of the bunch, and having him on their side would be a good thing.

She decided that she'd lurked long enough and opened the door further and walked out. The boys parted upon the sound of her wedges hitting the hardwood floor, and she gave a smile that she hoped showed she hadn't heard nearly everything they'd just said to each other.

"So, what's the plan for tonight?" she asked.

Instead of the response she expected, Annie saw Alex break away from Auggie and walk up to her. He embraced her much like he just had his brother, and Annie pretty much expected the "you hurt him, I'll kill you" speech. But he didn't say anything, and after a few seconds, let her go.

"What was that for?" she asked.

"If what I think just happened, happened," Auggie said, "that hug was an apology for acting like an overprotective brother before. Isn't that right, Alex?"

"Yeah, yeah. Sorry, Annie. Auggie just surprised me, is all. You'd think if my own brother had found a great girl, he'd send out a text or e-mail or something."

Annie nodded, "Guess we were just all caught up in our own little world there for a while."

XXX

An hour later, Annie and Auggie walked along in a beautiful nearby park, after Alex insisted that they go out and have some fun together before classes start.

Auggie was relieved that Alex had backed off and let him have his own life. It still struck him as odd, though, the way he'd reacted to Annie's presence. Maybe later, he'd get more information about of him, but that wasn't what he wanted to think about now. His time alone with Annie was closing in on a few hours, and he wanted to make the most of it.

"Hey, is there somewhere we can sit down?" he asked.

"Yeah, there's an out-of-the-way gazebo over there."

"Lead me to it."

Annie led him to the small open building, which looked sturdy enough, but in need of a new paint job. The way the trees enclosed it, also, meant that no one could see inside. She smiled as she thought that she'd found "their" place. With her in a dorm and he with his brother, if they wanted any private time, it'd be difficult to find.

"Just so you know, this place is pretty out of the way," she said as he sat next to her and placed an arm around her shoulders. "In case you needed to call out for help or something."

Auggie chuckled at her thinly disguised flirting. "And why would I have to call out for help?" he asked, pulling her close. Her arms wound around his back and chest, and her head nestled into his shoulder.

"Maybe because some barely legal hot chick decided to have her way with you?" she asked.

The words flashed his memory, and he stilled for just a second as the realization washed over him that she'd heard his and Alex's entire conversation. "So, you heard all of that, huh?"

"Yeah, most of it," Annie said. "Thank you. You know, for sticking up for me and for us."

"What else was I to do?" he asked, raising a hand to stroke down the side of her face. "But in the future, maybe we shouldn't tell people how we fell for each other in two days."

"I'd rather not lie."

"And I'd rather not have to tell the story over and over again."

"Auggie?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you really want to spend this time arguing?"

Auggie shook his head, and even as he felt her lips graze his jaw and begin to press kisses along it, he hoped he wouldn't have to keep explaining to others how a blind guy like him captured the attention of what he now knew was a "hot blonde."

Not once since Tuesday morning had it mattered to him what she looked like. The moment she placed her hand on his jaw that afternoon and kissed him, he was lost.

* * *

**THE END**


End file.
